Loose-sheet binder.



No. 762,419. 'VPATENTED'JUNE llflfd.-

lALAW'SON n LGOSB SHEET BINDER.' Annunci FILED oo'r.,`19o3. lo MoDEL.

@ZefZZz/JJOIU. 15k/3f? end of my binder.

UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT f OFFICE.

Loose-SHEET emmen.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 762,419, dated June14, 1904.

Application filed October 5, 1903. Serial No. 175.731. (No model.)l

To all whom t mrtg/concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT LAWSON, a citizenof the UnitedStates,residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in- Loose-Sheet Binders, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the .accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspeciiication. l

My invention-relates to a binder for inclosing and confining loosesheets of paper, and is particularly intended for confining into bookvform tissuecopies of railroad way-bills, the object of the inventionbeing to provide a binder in which loose sheets of the character namedmay be bound more readily, quickly, and cheaply thanin binders asheretofore produced.

My invention consists infeatures of novelty hereinafter fully described,and pointed outin the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of the rear Fig.- 11 isa longitudinalsectiontaken online II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a perspective view of oneend of one of the bindingplates carried by the covers of the binder.

Fig. 1V y,is a section taken-on line IV IV, Fig. 1, through one of theinturned flanges of one of thecover-carried binding-plates.

A is a perspective view of one of the clutchdisks applied tothebinder-posts. A designates a series of loose sheets shown in position inmy binder. l

1 designates the cover-boardsl of a binder,

which are inclosed withinsheets 2, of canvas or 4other fabric. Thesheets. of fabric 2 ex'- tend beyond the rear edges of the coverboardsand receive the connections to be hereinafter mentioned.

4 designates binding-plates that are provided with apertures 5, spacedat desirable distances apart therein, and the forward edges of which arecurved or coiled rearwardly with respect to the main bodies of theplates, as

Y seen at 6, Figs. I, II, and III. Within the coils of the plates areseated the flexible rear ends of the cover-board, inclosing sheets 2,which are introduced into the coils and quickly clamped therein to holdthe covers to the bindingflanges 7 is a tongue 8, that in the productionof the binder project beyond the ends of the binding-plates in alongitudinal direction, as

seen in Fig. 111, and which are bent inwardly from the ends of theflanges to extend in lines parallel with the flanges 7 by slightlyremoving therefrom to produce U-shaped pockets at the rear of. and atthe ends of each of the binding-plates. (See Figs. 1I and 1V.)

9 designates the back of the binder, which is seated between thebinding-plates 4 and is confined within the pockets produced bytheflanges 7 and tongues 8, the said backs being held from rearwardmovement by said flanges 7 and held from forward or endwise movement bythe tongues 8, which extend across the ends of the back and embrace itatits forward side, as shown. The back 9 is preferably composed of acentral sheet 10, of metal,

that is incased by a covering 11, of fabric.

12 designates posts furnished with heads 13 and extending through theapertures 5. in the binding-plates 4.' These posts are preferablyserrated, as illustrated in Fig. II.

14 designates clutch-disks (see Figs. I, II, and V) which are providedwith apertures 15 and containing a plurality of slits 16, which dividethe disks intel aseries of spring-tongues the free ends of which arepresented inwardly to the apertures 15. These clutch-disks are designedto be passed over the points of the posts 12 and pressed onto said poststo adhere thereto by engaging the serrations on the posts. The aperturein each clutchdisk is slightly less in area than the diameter ofthe postto which it is fitted, and therefore when the disk is forced onto thepost its tongues are sprung outwardly, as illustrated IOO ment and theconfining binding-plates from separation from the sheets of paper thatare confined between them.

In the operation of binding the loose sheets into my binder the posts 12are first passed through the binding-plate carried by the lower cover,and the loose sheets to be bound are then pressed onto the posts, theirapplication thereto being greatly facilitated by pointed prongs that arefitted to the posts and over which the loose sheets may be readilypassed, so that they will be perforated and move readily onto the'posts.These prongs do not, however, form any part of the invention in thisapplication, but are included in the subjectmatter of anotherapplication for patent .After the desired amount of loose sheets havebeen applied to the posts of the binder the upper cover of the binder ispassed over the posts and the clutch-disks 14 are pressed onto theposts. Previous, however, to the depression of these clutch-disks theback 9 of the binder is introduced between the bindingplates and seatedin the pockets furnished by the-flanges 7 and tongues 8, after which theclutch-disks may be forced onto the posts to the desired extent tothoroughly clamp the plates 4 against the sheets which they confine.

The back 9, in addition to its utility as an inelosure for the rearofthe binder, has two important functions-viz. ,that of holding thebinding-plates 4 separated at their rear edges to prevent their collapseand that of relieving strain on the posts l2, this latter being due tothe back extending in a line parallel with the posts, and therebyresisting and preventing the occurrence of any lateral strain on theposts when the binder is opened and being handled in `its use. Inaddition the back serves to give the proper shape to the binder and holdall of the binding members with rigidity.

A binder constructed in accordance with my invention is extremely simpleand inexpensive for manufacture, both in the point of material andlabor, and it is one in which the operations of binding loose sheets ofpaper therein are quickly and easily performed, with the result of acompact and cheap book being irate back interposed between saidbindingplates and confined thereby, substantially as set forth.

2. A bin'der composed of a pair of covers, apertured binding-platessecured to said covers, posts passing through said binding-plates. meansfor securing said posts, and a separate back interposed between saidbinding-plates, substantially as set forth.

3. A binder4 composed of a pair of covers, binding-plates secured tosaid covers, iianges projecting from said binding-plates, means forconnecting said binding-plates, and a separate back `interposed betweensaid bindingplates and confined by said flanges', substantially as setforth.

4. A binder composed of a pair of covers, binding-plates secured to saidcovers, Bauges projecting from said binding-plates, inturned tonguescarried by said flanges, means for connecting said binding-plates, and aseparate back interposed between said bindingplates, and confinedbetween said flanges and tongues, substantially as set forth.

5. A binder composed of apair of covers,

apertured binding-plates secured to said covers, posts passing throughthe apertures in said binding-plates and uniting the plates,clutch-disks fitted to said posts, and a separatestiif back interposedbetween said binding-plates, substantially asset forth.

' ALBERT LAWSQN. In presence ofw E. S. KNIGHT., 'BLANCHE HOGAN.

